"Contact. One hostile," the soldier whispered.
"Drop it," Amith ordered.
The soldier squeezed the trigger of his suppressed rifle, a muted crack echoing as the zombie's head jerked back. The creature slumped to the ground, motionless.
"Hostile neutralized," the soldier reported.
"Clear the next aisle," Amith commanded, keeping his voice low.
The team moved in formation, sweeping each section of the store. They passed through the frozen goods section, where long-defrosted refrigerators housed rotting food. The stench was nearly unbearable, but the soldiers pressed on, their respirators filtering most of the foul air.
"Command, we're clearing the frozen section," Amith updated.
"Copy that," Advik Bhardwaj acknowledged. "Bravo, any signs of movement outside the docks?"
Sandeep responded immediately. "Negative, command. Still quiet."
The drone operator chimed in over the comms. "Abhiyaan ENU800 here. We've got scattered heat signatures moving further down the street, likely stragglers drawn by the explosions. No immediate threat to the perimeter."
Advik Bhardwaj nodded to himself, taking in the information. So far, the mission was progressing smoothly. The drone's surveillance showed that most of the nearby zombies had indeed been lured away by the decoy blasts, giving the teams precious time to secure the supermarket. But Advik Bhardwaj knew this situation wouldn't last forever.
"Alpha, what's your status?" Advik Bhardwaj asked.
"We're approaching the central storage area," Amith replied. "Looks like this is where they stockpiled supplies before the outbreak."
The feed showed a large, open space with rows of metal shelving units stretching to the ceiling. Many of the shelves were still stocked with canned goods, bottled water, and other non-perishables. It was a goldmine of resources.
"Jackpot," Amith muttered. "Plenty of supplies here. Looks like no one got to this place before us."
Advik Bhardwaj leaned forward, eyes narrowing as he examined the video feed. "Start cataloging high-priority items. Focus on food, water, and medical supplies. We'll deal with logistics once the site is fully secured."
"Copy that. Alpha, begin inventory," Amith ordered his squad.
As the soldiers started marking key supplies, a faint static crackled over the comms. Advik Bhardwaj frowned and adjusted his headset. "Command to all teams, sound off."
"Bravo, all clear," Sandeep responded.
"Charlie here. No movement," Jagdish added.
Amith's voice came through, but it was slightly distorted. "Alpha's still secure. Could be interference from the building structure."
Advik Bhardwaj nodded slowly but remained cautious. "Stay on high alert. We're deep enough in this mission that something's bound to go wrong."
Sandeep's voice cut in again. "Command, I've got something here. Picking up faint movement about fifty meters south of the loading docks. Could be zombies."
"Copy. Abhiyaan ENU800, can you confirm?" Advik Bhardwaj asked.
"Scanning now," the drone operator replied. The thermal feed shifted, focusing on the southern perimeter. After a few tense moments, the operator reported. "Multiple heat signatures detected. Looks like a small group—five to seven hostiles, shambling at a slow pace. They're approaching the loading dock."
"Bravo, you've got incoming," Advik Bhardwaj said. "Prepare to engage quietly."
Sandeep relayed the command to his team. "Positions! We take them out silently. Suppressors on."
The soldiers crouched behind cover, weapons aimed at the entrance. Through their scopes, they could see the zombies slowly staggering toward the dock area. The creatures were drawn by residual noise from the helicopters and faint echoes from inside the store.
"Hold… hold…" Sandeep whispered, waiting for the right moment.
As the first zombie stumbled into the open, Sandeep gave the signal. Suppressed gunfire cracked in short bursts, and the zombie dropped instantly. The team maintained their composure, taking down each target one by one. Within moments, the area was clear.
"Bravo to command. Hostiles neutralized. No additional movement detected," Sandeep reported.
"Good work," Advik Bhardwaj said. "Keep an eye out. There could be more."
The tension in the room remained palpable as the teams continued their respective tasks. Time seemed to slow as each second of silence stretched into the next. Everyone knew that the calm wouldn't last forever.
"Alpha to command," Amith called in. "We've finished our initial sweep of the central storage area. Supplies are confirmed. We're setting up a defensive perimeter now."
"Copy, Alpha. Begin phase two," Advik Bhardwajinstructed. "Bravo and Charlie, prepare for sustained perimeter defense. We're bringing in the first wave of extraction helicopters in thirty minutes."
"Roger that," both Sandeep and Jagdish acknowledged.
The mission was progressing, but Advik Bhardwaj's instincts told him to stay on guard. The quiet was unsettling, and in a world overrun by the undead, silence often preceded chaos.
"Let's finish this by the book," Advik Bhardwaj muttered, his gaze fixed on the monitors. The teams were in position, and the operation was entering its most critical stage. They had come too far to fail now.
The helicopters roared through the sky, the rhythmic hum of their rotor blades slicing through the thick air of the ruined cityscape. Advik Bhardwaj sat inside Hawk 2, gripping the side handle as he watched the Reliance Smart Supermarket come into view. Below, his men were executing the operation with the kind of precision only days of experience in an undead-ravaged world could hone.
"Command, this is Viper 1. Beginning final noise distraction. Deploying incendiaries at designated points," came the pilot's voice over the radio.
"Copy, Viper 1. Make it count," Advik Bhardwaj responded.
The AH-1Z Viper hovered just a few blocks away from the supermarket before letting loose a barrage of high-decibel incendiary munitions. The ground rumbled as fireballs erupted from nearby abandoned buildings. The controlled chaos sent shockwaves through the streets, drawing out any lurking undead.
On the supermarket's perimeter, Bravo and Charlie teams maintained their watch. The explosions did their job well—zombies poured out of the surrounding structures, shambling toward the chaos like moths to a flame.
"Alpha, report," Advik Bhardwaj ordered.
ordered.
Amith's voice came through the comms, calm and professional. "Command, we've secured the interior. Minimal resistance. All entry points reinforced."
Sandeep chimed in from the loading docks. "Bravo is holding steady. No threats in our immediate area."